


Wrong (Gladiolus Amicitia x Reader)

by inconsistencys



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, F/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-02-07 00:04:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12829008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inconsistencys/pseuds/inconsistencys
Summary: Like the rest of him, Gladio's heart is forged from steel. You, however, managed to melt the walls surrounding the Shield, and he's convinced that when you speak of a secret crush, you're talking about him. Little does he know that the one who has stolen your heart is not him, but the graceful tactical genius who serves at his side.





	Wrong (Gladiolus Amicitia x Reader)

Her head was on his shoulder.

They were sitting, backs against a wall of rock, gazing at the immensity of the universe. Stars littered the sky, pinholes in a midnight sheet, and evening sounds engulfed them, blanketing them in the wilderness’s tired melody. Distant cicadas buzzed in their homes, battling their songs against the wolves’. Trees rustled, kissing their ears with stray moisture from leaves that were not quite ready to fall. It was a haunting symphony.

“You know,” he said softly, his voice almost lost in the night breeze, “You should tell him how you feel.”

“Yeah?” Her voice sent tremors across his skin.

“Yeah.” He shivered. Later, he would blame the tremble in his voice on the sudden chill of twilight. “Hell, he probably feels the same way.”

She laughed, unbelieving, but the stars still shone a little brighter to the sound. His eyes were watching hers as she looked to the ceiling of the world, counting the constellations in her irises.

“You think so?” She asked. Her warmth was spreading to his bones, lighting fires beneath the skin she had touched.

“Definitely,” he replied. Her cheek was melting the feathers inked into his shoulder. Her mouth opened, then closed. She was silent.

Moonbeams danced across their faces as each basked in the presence of the other. Gladiolus’s mind danced with possibilities, clouded by butterflies climbing from his chest. Liquid bronze pooled in his eyes, sparkling with infatuation. Everything about him reeked of hope.

She, on the other hand, was lost in her own thoughts, wandering through memories experienced with a different man, at a different time, in a different place. The arm she leaned on was untouched by a pen. The eyes that watched her carried the color of the fields below. _Maybe,_ she thought, _maybe he loves me, too._

Somewhere along the way, her hand found his. Their eyes met, reflecting their affections before she spoke again.

“You know what?” She said, the words leaving her mouth quickly. Excitedly. “I’m going to do it. I’m going to tell him.”

He felt his heart leap to his throat. “When?”

“Tomorrow. After breakfast.” And then, with a grin: “Thanks, Gladio.”

He squeezed her hand.

The next morning, he was up before the sunrise. He carried himself from the tent, basking in the peace before the dawn. Dewdrops nested upon blades of grass, covering the surrounding fields in a layer of moisture. The creatures had gone to rest. Even the trees slumbered.

He had awoken before the world.

He lowered himself into a chair, sinking into the dense fabric with a sigh as he eyed his book. He knew, of course, that he couldn’t read it – not now. His head was spinning with visions of her. Being with her. Loving her.

Today was the day.

In the distance, the birds began their song, pleading the sun to peek over the horizon once more. Movement could be heard in the tent, accentuated by the occasional murmur of morning greetings. If he listened closely enough, he could hear her groans of protest as Ignis roused her from her sleep, and a smile grew on his lips.

She rolled out of the tent looking like the sun itself, brightening the haven with a “hey” and a tired grin sent his way. She took the seat next to him as the rest of the group scurried about the camp, preparing breakfast with speed acquired from weeks of practice.

“Not gonna help, big guy?” She asked, nudging him playfully.

A light, airy chuckle escaped his lips. “Not today, kid.”

“Looks like you’re stuck with me, then.”

He listened to her chatter as the others worked, heart swelling with every word that flew from her mouth. He watched the way her lips formed each syllable and became lost in the lights of her eyes. This morning, there was nothing but her.

She spoke through breakfast, spreading joy through the air as she laughed with their friends. Between bites, she peppered the boys with praise and high school stories, smiling at the thought of her past adventures. When she was near, he didn’t need music. Closing his eyes, he listened to her speak, relishing the sound of her voice. Wishing that her breath would never leave her.

After the food was finished and plates were handed to Ignis for cleanup, she placed a hand on his bicep. He looked to her. She was nervous. This was it.

His heart was racing.

“Alright,” she said, an uneasy smile resting upon trembling lips, “Wish me luck.”

He opened his mouth. Her hand slipped from his arm almost as soon as it had landed. She turned to the tent. The words he was searching for wouldn’t come.

“Wait.”

It was a whisper. Too soft, too jagged to be heard. Pieces of him were flaking off, drifting from his body when the breeze came. He was drowning in an ocean of dew that was a millimeter deep, suffocating on the confessions lodged in his throat.

_Stop. Please. I love you._

Pain seeped into his chest, cracking his ribcage as it moved to his heart. It was beating rapidly, desperately pumping denial through his veins in a last ditch effort to save itself. _You could be wrong,_ it insisted, _She could come back._

Minutes passed before she emerged from the tent, the smile on her face stretching for miles. He almost forced himself to stand, willing his legs to support him for the moments it would take to be in her presence again. The sparks leaping in her eyes were exploding in love. Her fingers tangled themselves with Ignis’s as she tugged him along.

Gladio felt a prick in his chest, where his heart should have been. He thought that it would have hurt more when the blood stopped running through his body. He settled into his chair.

“Hey,” she called to him, making a beeline for his place by the fire, “Looks like you gave me some good advice, for once.”

He looked to her, his eyes gazing over her features with a hardness that hadn’t been there before as a chuckle escaped his lips, “Well, what do you know? I’m happy for you.”

She laughed, and the sound that was once music to his ears sent ripples of pain down his spine. “Thanks, old man. Seriously. Couldn’t have done it without you.”

Behind his glasses, Ignis’s eyes were crinkling as he looked at her. Loved her.

“Yes,” he said, “Thank you, Gladio.”

He squeezed her hand.

Gladiolus couldn’t remember what that felt like.

After a few moments of talking at him, they moved away. He caught her scent as she walked past, breathing it in, accepting the flames that licked the insides of his lungs. He could feel something growing in his stomach, cutting through his muscle tissue as he watched them. He let his thoughts wander, exploring what he might become if he continued to torture himself. Would he still be able to protect Noctis? _What good can come of a broken shield?_

Her head was on his shoulder.


End file.
